The predator carefully sets a trap and then waits for the unsuspecting prey. When a victim approaches, there’s a swift attack, and a deadly wound is inflicted. Even though this occurs with merciless regularity, rarely are there any witnesses to this violent act.

And gardeners everywhere are grateful.

Despite their reputation as loathsome creatures, spiders are one of the landscape’s best friends. We might be up to our knees in pests if it weren’t for our eight-legged helpers.

“Spiders are nature’s way of keeping a check on the insect population,” says Paula Cushing, curator of invertebrate zoology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

As beneficial predators, spiders feed on living insects, like black flies, mosquitoes, grasshoppers and other pests. Not all spiders spin webs to catch their prey. Some are hunters that stalk their quarry, others wait for dinner to come to them.

“Most savvy gardeners understand that it’s a good thing to have spiders in the garden,” says Cushing. “They have a better appreciation for spiders than (does) the general public.”

Fear of spiders ranges from the “eeek” factor to petrifying arachnophobia. This aversion may come from spiders’ daunting appearance, stories about their poisonous bites, or images lingering from movies about eight-legged radioactive monsters.

“There’s no logical reason to be afraid of spiders,” says Cushing. “There are very few that are harmful to humans. It’s a little silly to be scared of something so much smaller.”

Instead, spiders should be afraid of us. Indiscriminate use of pesticides presents a scary future for these creepy crawlers.

Spiders are the seventh most diverse group of organisms on Earth and the top predator in nearly every ecosystem.

“There are over 38,000 described species of spiders. Over 100,000 if you count their relatives, like scorpions,” Cushing says.

Gardeners can encourage spiders to live in their yards by taking a few simple steps. Cushing recommends planting a complex landscape, one that includes everything from low-lying plants to flowering shrubs. The variety of plants means more attachment points for webs. Mulch provides moisture and hiding places.

In addition to encouraging spiders, a layered landscape also attracts insects. “The higher the numbers of insects, the higher the number of predators,” Cushing says.

Getting to know spiders on a first-name basis is another way to help.

Spider enthusiasts can join the Colorado Spider Survey research project at the museum. Cushing started the project in 1999 to study the distribution and diversity of spiders in our state.

The purpose of the project is twofold: to gather baseline information on a diverse group of creatures and to educate people about the group.

“The best way to increase science literacy is by getting people involved in the scientific process. By the time we’re done, I expect we’ll have identified between 600 and 1,000 species of spiders in Colorado.”

Several hundred volunteers have been trained to collect and identify spiders. One of the active spider survey participants is Phil Price of Parker. He joined the project because he thought it would be a way to stay close to his son Rob, who was 7 at the time.

He says his plan worked better than he imagined. “I caught the bug. We get out in the fresh air, it relieves stress, and we’re doing scientific research.”

For the past seven years, Price and his son have collected hundreds of spider specimens for the project and as their hobby. “I’m an experienced, avid collector, but I don’t consider myself an expert,” he says.

However, he has observed a lot of spider behavior. The Prices keep several vivariums – an enclosure designed to replicate the spider’s natural environment. Rob, now 14, also knows about spider behavior. “I feed them meal worms twice a week depending on their size and how well-nourished they are,” he says.

The father-and-son team collects, documents and labels the spiders found. Collecting spiders is both an art and a science. The hunters don’t like to be hunted.

Price has never been bitten by a spider and has seen only two defensive strikes in his years of collecting. One of those strikes was from a scorpion.

“If I were collecting bees or ants, I’d have been stung several times by now,” Price says.

Price explains that spiders are not aggressive to humans even if disturbed. “Spider bites usually happen by accident when someone sits and squashes one.”

Price, who works at Craig Hospital, enjoys sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm for spiders. He presents programs at Tagawa Garden Center and at area schools.

He’s the kind of volunteer who demonstrates the value of a research project like the spider survey, Cushing says.

“Volunteers start by collecting, and then they become spider resources in their own community.”

Scientific research is just one benefit of collecting spiders. The Prices displayed their vivariums at a Halloween “trunk-or-treating” event at their church. Black lights made the spiders seem to glow in the dark.

People were both horrified and intrigued by the show.

“It was like riding a roller coaster,” says Rob. “They’d get scared, but they kept coming back.”

Of course, they won the prize for the best-decorated trunk, eight legs down.

…

Test Your Spidey Sense

Answer true or false to these questions to test your spider knowledge.

1. Daddy-long-legs are the most poisonous spider, except their fangs are too small to pierce human skin.

2. Spiders are often the most important biological control of pests in gardens.

3. Despite their name, wolf spiders are normally shy and not dangerous to humans.

4. Jumping spiders can jump long distances while hunting their prey.

5. The Dysdera crocata uses its long fangs to feed on roly-poly bugs and other hard-bodied prey.

6. The orb-weaving spider, known as the banded garden spider, uses a large symmetrical web to snare its prey.

7. All widow spiders are black and have a red or red-orange marking on the underside of their abdomens.

8. Funnel web spiders look like the brown recluse spider and are just as dangerous.

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